Food In The City: The Globe

I understand the economy and I see people spending less money, but over here at the Depalma's I still see us on a wait and having parties of 15 come in to eat on a regular basis. I stumbled upon this article concerning the financial future of The Globe, and Epiphany. Let me pull out a few quotes from owner and chef of Epiphany for you, Tres Jackson says:

"In December you kill yourself, and in January you kind of twiddle your thumbs," he said. "Football season sucked, probably the worst football season I've had in five and a half years".

-Now let me just say I would never use a quote in an article that said "sucked". That sounds horribly uneducated. I would have said something along the lines of "Though Alabama had a great football season this year, this was the worst business we've seen in awhile". Roll Tide, no? Show a little respect for the city you live in. Depalma's had a great football season, I almost think we were ten times busier than last season. Go figure. I credit this to a better football season, and a couple good home games.

This quote is from Wilson over at the Globe:

"Currently, we're hanging on, but we need people to stop being so scared. I know everybody's lost a bunch of money and are freaking out, but my menu's not so expensive it's going to break you," he said. "I think there's a misconception that there's nothing ordinary people can eat, that it's all weird, it's all theater-related."

-It is NOT a theater related, it is not a themed restaurant actually. Okay, a couple dishes use a play on words with Shakespeare plays, and you have some pictures hanging that relate to theater. I love the building at The Globe, but when I think of theater related restaurants I think of servers with tights and that is not what The Globe has.

"Tuscaloosa really needs to support its independent restaurants, its restaurants that are different, not the Outbacks and places like that," he said. "Those places are serving you food that comes in a bag, and they microwave it.

"Tuscaloosa is an odd place. It never really buys in and supports its local restaurants the way Birmingham does. I'm not sure Tuscaloosa people view it that way; they don't see the impact it has on us. If people come in town and want to do really good food, you've got to support 'em."

-OKAY, now this is important. I LOVE YOU TUSCALOOSA. I think you do support local restaurants. There is not ONE single mention in this article about "our food is great". It is NOT your obligation to eat somewhere because it is locally owned, it is your obligation to eat somewhere with amazing food and great atmosphere. Tuscaloosa will make that decision.

As far as Cafe Venice goes with new management, only time will tell. Also I am actually excited about
Wintzell's Oyster House opening, but horribly disappointed that I will no longer be living in town. Boy, will i miss my south.

You read the article, eat the food, and make your own decision:
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20090205/NEWS02/902050312/1009/archives

Where do I begin? I paid downtown Northport a visit to eat at the famed City Café. Upon my arrival, I found the wait to be a tad unreasonable. Instead of standing in line with all those perspiring, ambitious individuals, I strolled over to The Globe to check out their lunch specials. After eating an enchanting lunch with good company, an idea struck me: I would never recommend this sandwich to anyone on a ‘first’ date. It was delicious and messy, and the aroma of garlic could be smelled from the other side of town. Do not even get me started on the onions and basil that seemed to be mostly found on my lap at the end of my meal. Though the sandwich was a remarkable variation of the classic grilled cheese, there was a bit more information that needed to be specified before ordering this menu item. Being a senior in the University of Alabama’s Restaurant and Hotel Management program, working in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant and simply spending roughly all my life fixated on food, I thought Tuscaloosa needed a laid-back, amusing assessment of restaurants, events and food in the surrounding areas. I may not have the credentials of a bad-tempered NYC food critic, but I can relate to the target market and of course make your eating out ventures a bit more agreeable.

For those cute date goers wanting to stay away from a messy ending with no kiss the sandwich I ordered was “The Globe Grilled Cheese - Smoked pablano chilies, red onions, fresh tomatoes and Fontina cheese on multi-grain bread with mayonnaise and garlic vinaigrette. Grilled in cilantro compound butter.” If you really do not care what your company thinks of you, or should I say smells of you – go for it!